Over the last few decades, technology has revolutionized the logistics sector, enabling faster and more precise management of purchasing, storage and distribution operations. From blockchain, drones, autonomous vehicles, the internet of things and artificial intelligence, there are many technologies and possibilities.

For example, Artificial Intelligence is able to analyze large amounts of data in real time, identifying patterns and trends. This analysis makes it possible to optimize delivery routes, predict future demand and improve the planning of logistics activities.

Drones, meanwhile, can deliver parcels to remote or congested areas, significantly speeding up deadlines. Meanwhile, autonomous vehicles reduce costs and improve the safety of road transportation. These technologies are changing the very concept of delivery and dramatically improving the customer experience.

These are some of the most advanced technological trends that have revolutionized logistics, but in order to reach this level, the digital transformation of the sector's businesses must begin. Many still have their processes based on paper or Excel spreadsheets.

A good start on this digital journey is to automate tracking. Managing field resources, adopting a management dashboard that gives you a view of what's going on from the doorstep and anticipating problems before they affect the entire supply chain, will already be quite an evolution. And it's easier than you think.

And why is it so important to start with tracking? Because no one can be sure that the truck, cargo and driver leaving the distribution center will reach their destination without incident. With a tracking solution, this is possible. Good solutions combine geolocation, team management, form automation, user satisfaction surveys and other features.

The best thing is for it to be a mobile app, due to the nature of the operation itself, and for the manager to be able to control all activities via a smartphone. Through these apps, for example, you can check the location of your field resources in real time on a map of the city, state or country. You can also monitor the status of each task assigned for that day, as well as evaluating the service.

In addition to a holistic view of what's happening in the field, these systems issue alerts for situations that require action from the manager, whether it's to help an external collaborator, adjust schedules due to last-minute changes from the client, or even unexpected events.

With this technology, teams can optimize routes, reorganize services, assign new tasks to those who are away. All the paperwork is replaced by intuitive online work, enabling considerable savings, whether in overheads or human resources. With a few clicks, the field technician fills in reports and sends important feedback on what is happening on the street.

It is also possible to solve many problems that logistics companies face when delivering products. Through features called ETA (Estimated Time Arrived), the customer receives a notification (SMS) with the identification of the employee, their current location and the estimated time of arrival, providing minute-by-minute monitoring. Among the benefits of this feature is the security of the customer, who will receive a photo of the service provider and will be able to check whether the person entering their home is really an employee of the company they have hired.

Our tip for an application in this direction is OfficeTrack, developed by the Israeli company OfficeCore and marketed exclusively in Brazil by 3CON and its channels. In addition to all this, it is able to automatically carry out a customer satisfaction survey as soon as the technician leaves the home or with any service carried out. It can also help with reverse logistics.

Medium and small businesses can experience a major digital revolution with applications of this nature without having to make large investments or tie up the entire company with endless implementations.